President Trump Warns of ‘Problem’ in Netflix’s Massive $83 Billion Warner Bros. Bid

President Trump Warns of ‘Problem’ in Netflix’s Massive $83 Billion Warner Bros. Bid

Amid existing antitrust worries circulating in Hollywood and ongoing reviews by federal authorities, Trump indicated that the White House would play a direct role in the outcome of the nearly $83 billion deal.

RMN News Business Desk
New Delhi | December 8, 2025

US President Donald Trump has publicly expressed serious reservations regarding the proposed multi-billion-dollar acquisition of Warner Bros. by streaming leader Netflix, citing the significant potential for market dominance. Speaking on Sunday, December 7, the President warned that Netflix already commands substantial power in the entertainment sector, possessing “a very large market share,” and argued that this proposed consolidation “could be a problem”.

Amid existing antitrust worries circulating in Hollywood and ongoing reviews by federal authorities, Trump indicated that the White House would play a direct role in the outcome of the nearly $83 billion deal. The President stated, “I’ll be involved in that decision”.

If the agreement proceeds as proposed, the acquisition would grant Netflix control of both Warner Bros. studios and HBO Max. This consolidation would place numerous world-famous franchises under Netflix’s possession. These prized assets include the Harry Potter saga, the Lord of the Rings, and DC Studios’ superheroes such as Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman. The streamer would also gain ownership of classic titles ranging from Citizen Kane and Casablanca to the recent box-office success Barbie.

It is noted that the deal excludes Warner Bros.’ linear television channels, specifically CNN and Discovery, which are slated to be separated from the company prior to the sale’s finalization.

The pathway to the sale began in October when Warner Bros. Discovery announced its openness to a sale after fielding multiple unsolicited bids. Netflix ultimately secured the deal ahead of rival interest from Comcast and Paramount Skydance. The leader of Paramount Skydance, David Ellison, is publicly known as a major supporter of President Trump.

Despite his serious reservations about the market implications of the massive takeover, President Trump offered praise for Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, whom he recently met at the White House. Trump asserted that Sarandos has “done one of the greatest jobs in the history of movies”.